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Joanna Baratheon
Queen Joanna Baratheon is Lady of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and the second Baratheon to sit on the Iron Throne. A member of House Baratheon of King's Landing, she is the eldest, and only trueborn, daughter of King Robert I Baratheon and Queen Cersei Lannister, her half-siblings are Prince Joffrey, Princess Myrcella and Prince Tommen. In the television adaptation of [http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Game_of_Thrones Game of Thrones], Joanna is portrayed by Katie Mcgrath. Appearance and Character Joanna has the classic Baratheon look: a strong jaw, jet-black hair, and bright blue eyes. She is tall for a girl her age. Years of riding and hunts with first her father, and then with her uncle, Renly Baratheon, has made her athletic and lithe. She usually wears her hair in a long braid and prefers riding leathers to typical lady’s garb. When she must wear proper women's attire she prefers to dress in the colors of her father's House. Joanna is considered beautiful and comely. Joanna is willful and stubborn, unafraid to speak her mind at court. She has her father's charisma and her mother's ambition, but also inherited their short-temper and spitefulness, respectively. Joanna is painfully aware of these flaws and relies on her true friends to talk her out of bad decisions. She despises lickspittles, and isn't fond of the misogyny common in court life. Joanna advocates for capable woman whenever possible, and has a small circle of female allies (mostly from the Crownlands and Stormlands) who rule Houses in their own name. She cares for the smallfolk more than most nobles and frequently pleads for them at court, much to her mother's chagrin. While she loves many masculine pursuits, Joanna has a love for chivalric legends like many noble girls, and even plays out the old songs and tales in secret with her lover Bethany Dondarrion. Similarly, she knows her history well and sees the likes of Nymeria of the Rhoyne, the Green Queen, and Daena the Defiant as inspirations. Her relationship with her parents is strained. She has become disillusioned with, and even ashamed of, her father due to his drunkenness and sloth, and is enough in conflict with her mother, who refuses to chastise her brother Joffrey for his actions. She hates Joffrey for his cruelty and stupidity, yet envies him for his inheritance, believing herself far more fit for the crown. She loves her other siblings, Myrcella and Tommen, and defends them from Joffrey's torments whenever she can. Joanna fears being married off against her will to a man, as she is secretly a homosexual. She also enough worries that she's more like her mother than she cares to admit. History Named after Joanna Lannister, her maternal grandmother, and born in King's Landing in 284 AC to Robert Baratheon and Cersei Lannister, Joanna is their eldest child and daughter. She is also the only trueborn issue of the royal couple, as secretly Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen are bastards born of incest between Cersei and Jamie Lannister. Joanna spent much of her whole life in King's Landing, but would frequently visit Storm's End with her favorite uncle, Renly Baratheon, when he would periodically return to his seat. As a child, she found an interest in archery, hunting, and riding, pursuits her father initially supported in memory of Lyanna Stark but would eventually oppose them as she got older. Her mother never supported these interests and frequently called her "half-wildling" for them. Renly, on the other hand, encouraged her and would take Joanna on hunts through the Kingswood and Rainwood on occasion. As a result, she grew to trust him and considers him her ally and friend. Renly knows Joanna is a homosexual and she knows he is one as well. Though young and experienced at the Game, Joanna had made some courtly allies before the beginning of [http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/A_Game_of_Thrones A Game of Thrones]. The ruling ladies of Houses Cressey, Pyle, Buckwell, Wendwater, Rogers, and Mertyns have all at one point or another whispered that she should rule after Robert's death, not Joffrey. She considers the lords of Houses Dondarrion, Chelsted, Staunton, and Whitehead friends as well. Joanna once meet her half-sister Mya Stone once during a royal visit to the Eyrie. Alyn Whitehead is her unofficial sworn shield and childhood friend. She helped him become a squire for Lord Commander Barristan Selmy. Bethany Dondarrion is Joanna's principal lady-in-waiting, friend, and lover. They've known one another since childhood and rarely part company. Joanna considers Beric Dondarrion, Bethany's older brother, a true knight and more of a brother than Joffrey. Joanna become well-loved by the smallfolk of King's Landing after she reduced the city's infamous foul smell by convincing her father to spend coin to improve the old and decaying system of drains, sewers, and wells that run across the city. Though Joanna was the one who argued for it the idea was Bethany's and Tyrion Lannister's. Recent Events ''A Game of Thrones Joanna and the entire of the royal family go to Winterfell in the North at the behest of her father, King Robert Baratheon, after the death of Jon Arryn, Hand of the King. She first believes her father has come to Winterfell solely to make Eddard Stark his new Hand but learns from Arya Stark, Eddard's youngest daughter, that he also means to betroth her to Robb Stark, the future Lord of Winterfell, and Eddard's oldest trueborn son. With the help of Bethany Dondarrion, her lady-in-waiting and close friend, she is able to undermine the betrothal by convincing her father that it is unnecessary given that Joffrey, her brother, is already set to marry Sansa Stark, Eddard's older daughter. Joanna returns to King's Landing with the rest of her family. On the Kingsroad, Joffrey is attacked by Arya's direwolf Nymeria at the ruby ford after he tries to attack Arya's smallfolk friend, Mycah. When her mother, Cersei Lannister, demands that the Sansa's direwolf, Lady, be killed in Nymeria's place, Joanna tries to save the beast for Sansa's sake but fails to change either of her parent's minds. Afterwards, Joanna attempts to heal the rift between the two Stark sisters with a story of a past feud she had with her own sister Myrcella but finds little success. When she arrives back in King's Landing she confers with the master of whispers, Varys, asking if he had any knowledge of her father's plan to betroth her to Robb Stark and whether he knows about any other marriage prospects he may have in mind for her. He denies knowing about the initial betrothal but gives her the names of Quentyn Martell, Edmure Tully, Willas Tyrell and even Robert Arryn as possible future candidates for her hand. Concerned that she may not be able to break another betrothal if her father tries again, Joanna seeks Bethany's confront and goes to a secluded part of the Red Keep's godswood where the two usually meet to be alone. There Joanna proposes running away to the Summer Isles but Bethany condemns the plan as romantic but foolhardy. They briefly share a kiss, and Joanna remembers the kissing games she used to play with Bethany as a child. Joanna spends time with both Stark sisters and tries to help them adjust to the King's Landing. She gives Arya a few archery lessons and introduces Sansa to her various friends at court. She comes to learn of Eddard Stark's investigation of Jon Arryn's death through her friend Alyn Whitehead, who had come to learn of it himself through a Stark guard he befriended, also coincidentally named Alyn. Wanting to help, Joanna goes to the Tower of the Hand and offers to help Lord Stark however she can. She is at first rebuffed by him, but argues her value, stating that she knows the name of almost every courtier, knight, lord, and lady in the Red Keep. He eventually relents to her offer but demands she tell no else of about his investigation and bring all she learns to him alone. He does not tell her of Lysa Arryn's letter implicating her mother's side of the family for Jon Arryn's death. Joanna makes her inquiries, posing veiled questions about Jon Arryn before his sickness struck him. She talks to uncle Renly Baratheon, Barristan Selmy, Pycelle, and Varys, but learns little from them besides Renly, who tells her that his brother Stannis Baratheon, Lord of Dragonstone, was often seen talking with Jon Arryn in secret and arguing with the man. Before Joanna can make much more headway she learns that Eddard has been attacked by Ser Jamie Lannister, her maternal uncle and a knight of the Kingsguard. When she demands that her father do something about the brewing chaos between the Starks and the Lannisters he waves it off and states that his Hand will deal with it. He also tells her that he is going on a hunt and offers to let her come so as long as she speaks no more of Jamie Lannister or Tyrion Lannister's kidnapping. She refuses to do so and is left in King's Landing when her father goes to the Kingswood. When Eddard finally recovers from his attack and reassumes his position as Hand, Joanna is in the throne room when he declares Gregor Clegane, an outlaw for his attacks on villages in the Riverlands. When Eddard puts Beric Dondarrion in command of the expedition against the Mountain, Joanna almost speaks against the decision but is stopped before doing so by Bethany who thinks that Beric deserves his chance for glory. They wish Beric good luck and watch as he, Thoros of Myr and the rest of the expedition leave King's Landing through the Dragon Gate. Afterwards, at night, they pray for his safety in the Red Keep's sept and make love for the first time there. Robert returns from his hunt suffering from a mortal wound from a boar. Joanna talks to him on his deathbed and tries to reconcile with her father. He apologizes to her for being a terrible father and warns of her about Joffrey and her mother. Joanna is not there when he finally dies as he orders his Kingsguard to bar her from seeing him anymore in his deteriorated state. He dies from his wounds the next day. Fearing what Joffrey will do to her when he takes the crown, and secretly believing herself better equipped to wear it, she comes to Eddard and proposes that as Regent and Hand he make her, or even Myrcella or Tommen, Robert's successor. He turns her plan down but tries to console her that Joffrey will not take the crown. Unconvinced, she goes to Renly who tells her of his own failed attempt to win Eddard's favor and offers to take her to Highgarden where she'll be safe. He also tells that he plans to raise a mighty host to destroy the Lannister regime and rule the Seven Kingdoms himself. Joanna thinks the plan is doomed since so many are ahead of him in the proper line of succession. He ignores this by saying swords will make the difference and departs King's Landing for Highgarden, but not before hinting at the bastardy of Joanna's siblings. Desperate, she thinks of sending ravens to Antlers and Rook's Rest and calling Lady Jorja Buckwell and Lord Sigmund Staunton, her allies, to bring their swords to King's Landing, but Bethany talks her out of it by calling the action stupid, not defiant. Joanna agrees and hopes that Eddard spoke true about Joffrey. Eddard's coup ultimately fails though and he is imprisoned by Cersei for treason. Believing that Joffrey, or even her mother, will have her imprisoned or killed, Joanna plans to escape King's Landing by ship and go to the Stormlands, believing that she has allies there. She does this with help of Bethany and Alyn. She desires to take Sansa, Myrcella, and Tommen with her but knows they are to heavily guarded by Lannister guardsmen. In the dead of night, Joanna, Bethany, and Alyn make their way out of the Red Keep, disguised as Silent Sisters. They then ditch their disguises and board the Summer Islander swan ship, Koj's Pride, which is bound for the Weeping Town in the Stormlands, the seat of Alyn's father. On the ship, Joanna and Bethany have sex once more and unbeknownst to either of them, are seen together by Alyn. ''A Clash of Kings '' ''A Storm of Swords '' ''A Feast for Crows '' ''A Dance with Dragons '' ''The Winds of Winter '' ''A Dream of Spring '' Quotes by Joanna "''Joff is a fool and a cruel one at that. And yet when our father dies he will be crowded by the Faith and praised by lickspittles as if he was the Mother's gift to the Seven Kingdoms. The gods must be mad." - Joanna Baratheon to Bethany Dondarrion "Mother says love is poison. That it will always kill you in the end. But I don't believe it. I can't believe it. Your my Jonquil, Beth, and I swear to love you until end of my days, come what may. ''" - Joanna Baratheon to Bethany Dondarrion ''He's played me. All of it was just another play in this bloody Game for that wretched chair. I thought me loved me. - thoughts of Joanna Baratheon regarding Renly Baratheon They hadn't removed all the corpses from the Red Keep, yet. They were everywhere. The great hall, the sept, the godswood, and even the kitchens. So this is what victory looks like. Beth was right, the histories don't do it justice. - thoughts of Joanna Baratheon after the Battle of the Blackwater Quotes about Joanna "You can't tell me what to do, Princess Nag! Mother says a king can do he wants and I'll be king one day. And when I am king I'll make you the Mountain's bride and he'll feed to his dogs. ''" - Joffrey Baratheon threatening Joanna Baratheon ''"You're fun. Sansa and Septa Mordane will hate you." - Arya Stark to Joanna Baratheon "You think you're Daena the Defiant, but sometimes you act like Rhaenyra Targaryen, Jo. I love you, but I fear you'll end up just as she did if you're not careful." - Bethany Dondarrion to Joanna Baratheon I owe this to her, don't I? She gave me my squireship. She was kind to me when the bastard beat me bloody. And she'll be a better ruler than the bastard ever could be. What does matter if she'll never be my queen of love and beauty, she's still my queen and my friend. - thoughts of Alyn Whitehead I wonder what the maesters will call it now? The War of Five Kings and One Queen? - thoughts of Tyrion Lannister